Safety appliance for airplanes



Dec. 27, 1932. B LYLES 1,892,556

SAFETY APPLIANCE FOR AIRPLANES Filed Sept. 24, 1931 INVZNTOJZ 720M317. Zya;

v c. forth and then specifically designated by the connecting Tod equivalent elementa' 5 airplane with portions broken away and 450 parachute release similar to the illustration partment houses the pilot parachute which Patented Dec. 27, 1932 i j UNITED STATES PATENT oerlcsp Application filed. September 24, 1931. Serial No. 564,867..

My invention relates to new and useful imin Fig. 1, but removed from the airplane and provements in a safety appliance for airshowing its two positions. 7 planes and is particularly adapted for use in c F ig. 3 is an end or edge view of Fig. 2,-

7 connection with the invention disclosed in my with the cover in section. Patent No. 1,806,403, dated May 19, 1931.v In carrying out my invention as embodied One of the objects of the present invention in the one form herein illustrated, the referis to provide an improved airplane carrying ence numeral. 5 represents an'airplane includparachute structure in which the-parachute ing a wing structure. 6 in which is formed a may be released or disconnected from the airmpartment- 7 between the upper and lower 0 plane as soon as the disabled airplane has been Skills of h g Structure f r he rec pti n lowered safely to the ground. 0f the main parachute, andsaid compart- Another object of the invention'is to. prom t s pr ferably located at a point midway vide an adequate release for the parachute to n h en s of the Wing Structure Over prevent the air l n f bei d d the body or fuselage of the airplane and prefalong the ground which would damage, break erably j n h fOTWaId .edge of Said and os ibly d t o the same7 d l t wing structure, although the'latter position prevent the danger of the possible loss of life W111 be regulated to eehsidereble extent y of o i ju t th Occupants b th parathe center of gravity of the airplaneas a chute dragging the airplane along the ground Whole-r .7 i a V d after landin I The top of the compartment 7 is open to Anoth r bj t f th i ti i t provide for placing the main parachute therevide a manually releasable attaching means and he Peiemit its exit whehheceeseryior fo n ti e parachute t an airplane, sirahle, but said open end is normally closed which means maybe actuated at an oppory a eeVeI' Closure 8 hinged at its forward tune moment to disconnect the parachute ge h top of the g structureby 0011- from the airplaneafter the latter has been nectloh Wlth the Shaft lowered safely to the ground to prevent the e closure is latched in a closed P parachute, if caught in strong winds, from tleh l hy Sulteble manner as Shown and t i th i h l v d d i th described in my former patent above referred same about. 1 to and when the closure is unfastened it may With these and other ends in .view, this inbe Opened by'the lifting arms 10 d' vention consists in the details ofconstruction the Shaft the latter being rotated y e and combination of elements hereinafter set cl'e'nk'll to which is fastened one end of e lai opposite end of said connecting rod being at- 5 In order that those skilled in the art to tached to elosereopemting lever 3 P which this invention anpertains may under- Otied s at 14 i Sald operatmg lever 9 stand how to make and use the same, I will Wlth holdmgmember l5 provlded t 40 describe its construction in detail referring notch 16 to recelve a Part'of ip by numerals to the accompanying awing leve r to hold the latter in the POSlLlOIl where forming a part of. this application, in 1t mhthe lreglon of 1 notch 6' which aa ii ed 013 iii i iilt fii fi fiie ciiii 1E3 1 1s fragmentary Sldeelevatlon of an "17 while the opposite end ofsaid conneiting rod is attached to a crank arm 18 fixed to a shaft 19 which controls latches for the clo shown in section to'illustrate the details of construction and the relation between the sev- Sure means' 20 f th secondary compartment lfi lp eproduced by said closure means on top of F 1g. 2 IS n enlarged SeetlOIlal VleW f h the wing structure and said secondary comvided with an opening '22 in the region of' which is located the parachute release 23 including a support 24 which may be in the form of a pair of U-shaped hangers 25 secured to the underside of the wing structure,

, one at each side of the opening 22.

On the support or between the hangers is mounted an aXle26 to which is fixed one end of a C-shaped hook 27, the nose 28 of which operates between the two hangers and lengthwise of the opening 22, the longitudinal center of which is parallel with the longitudinal center of the body ofthe airplane.

To the axle 26 is fixed a crank 29 pivotally connected to one end of a link 30, the opposite end of said link being pivotally connected with one of the arms of a bell cranklever 31 which is journalled upon a trunnion 32 projecting one side of the support or the outer face of one of the hangers.

To the other arm of the bell crank lever is connected one end of a connecting rod 33, the end of which is-fastened to an operating lever 34 which may be pivoted intermediate its ends as at 35. This operating lever like the'other operating lever 13 should be located in a position whereby the handle end will be within easy reach of the pilot or operator of the airplane or other occupant who is suiticiently familiar with the landing of airplanes to be able to operate the release at the opportune moment. In order to maintain'the operating lever 34 in its set position as shown in Fig. 1, a holding member 36 is provided for cooperation therewith. To further assist in holding the parts in their set positions and prevent an erroneous operation of the device, the link 30 is prevented from passing below a horizontalline when in endwise alignment with the arm of the bell crank lever to which said link is connected, by means of a stop 37 on one of the coactinr parts, as the link 30, which will'contact with the other member and limit the downward movement of a oint between the two parts to a position where said parts are in endwise alignment as shown in Fig. 2.

The support is fastened to the underside of the wing structure by means of bolts 38 or equivalent fastening devices which bolts may also be utilized to hold a cover 39 in place which cover encloses the support and the hook and prevents the passage of strong air currents through the opening 22 into the compartment 7. The support or the wing structure in the region of said support is braced by struts 40 extending betweenthe body or other suitable part of the airplane and the lower part of the wing structure so that the strain upon the airplane when suspended from the parachute Will be distributed over a considerable portion of the airplane.

A pulley block 41 has a wheel 42 for cooperation with the curved nose 28 of the hook 27 and also carries a ring 43 to which the shroud lines of the parachute are fastened and said pulley block is of a size that permits it to freely pass through the opening 22 and between the parts of the support or hangers.

When the'desire or necessity arisesto use the parachutes, the operating lever 13 is actuatedin the proper direction to release the covers or closures 8 and 20. This will permit the pilot parachute to be blown off the top of the wing structure and as soon as it is opened in-the wind orby the air currents, it will begin drawing the main parachute out of the compartment 7 and as soon as the shroud lines of said main parachute are taut, said main parachute will open and thus support the airplane through the ring 43, the pulley block, the hook 27 and the support 24 permitting the airplane to be safely lowered to the ground in an upright position without damage to the airplane structure or injury to its occupants.

This would be fine if soon as the airplane touched the ground the parachute entered a calm strata of air so that said parachute would drop straight down to the ground, but it is seldom that any condition like this would occur, and a strong gust of wind would easily turn the airplane over on its side and drag the same along the ground, damaging and possibly destroying the airplane and possibly injuring and even killing the occupants.

This being so, I have found it necessary to release the parachute assoon as the airplane touches the ground. To do this, an occupant of therairplane must actuate the operating lever 34 in the proper direction to throw the hook 27 back as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2, causing the pulley block 41 to roll off the nose 28 of said hook, thus disconnecting the parachute from the airplaneand permitting the former to blowofi' wherever the wind may carry it, leaving the airplane standing where it landed.

Of course I do not wish to be limited to the exact details of construction as herein shown, as these may be varied within the limits of the appended claim without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and useful is In a device of the kind described, the combination of an airplane having a parachute compartment in the Wing structure, a support secured to the underside of the Wing structure and having a space in communication with the parachute compartment through an opening in the bottom of the Wing structure, means to brace the Wing structure in the region of the support, a C-shaped hook pivoted in said support, a parachute to be housed in the compartment and released therefrom for lowering the airplane to the ground When the airplane is disabled, a pulley block attached to the parachute and detachably connected with the hook and manually operable means controlling the positions of said hook, whereby it may be moved to a retracted position to permit the pulley block to become disengaged therefrom for releasing the parachute.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto affixed my signature.

THOMAS B. LYLES. 

